OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 297 



We have had various hints from other private sources that they 

 are interested but we have no concrete evidence as yet that they are. 



This is essentially where our finances stand. 



As soon as we can enlarge our staff, the Committee staff, we will go 

 to work on these various sources, 



Mr. Miller. Has the oil industiy come forward in any way in 

 offering to give you any assistance ? 



Mr. LiLL. So far just oil industry suppliers. We have had no 

 direct approach unless Mr. Bascom can recall some. I do not think 

 we have had any direct contact w^ith the oil industry. 



Mr. Bascom. They certainly have not made us any cash offers to 

 date. We have every hope that in one way or another they will be 

 persuaded that this is a very good thing for the oil industry to par- 

 ticipate in, and that they will make various kinds of offere before long. 



Mr. Miller. Anything that has to do with expanding the earth's 

 sciences certainly should be of material interest to the oil industry 

 you would think. 



Mr. Bascom. Yes, sir. There are several possible ways that they 

 might gain from a project such as this, both fundamental and direct. 



First of all, the origin of petroleum still is a great question and it 

 is possible there may be keys which would help solve that problem 

 found in the deep sediments. It is even possible there might be oil in 

 the sediments although there is no evidence of that, either. It is 

 certainly an open question. 



The other major way in which the oil industry might gain is that 

 we are bound to develop something new in the way of drilling tech- 

 nology just by the mere fact of having to go at least a mile deeper 

 than the deepest hole so far and having to do it at sea and having 

 to do it in deep water. 



All of these things together certainly are bound to bring about var- 

 ious kinds of technological advances which the oil industry can cash 

 in on, all the way from new kinds of bits, new kinds of coring, new 

 metallurgy, special strings of pipes, all these things. 



Mr. Miller. Would it be necessary to expand the field of seismo- 

 graphic exploration or have we developed that to a point where it 

 would be helpful ? 



Mr. Bascom. It is a very complex matter. Development on such 

 a thing never ceases. I do not think any direct development will be 

 needed for this project although it is always possible that in the 

 course of our work something new will turn up which has not pre- 

 viously been known. 



Actually the methods we use, although they are generally similar to 

 those used by the oil industry, are not directly interchangeable with 

 their systems. 



Mr. Miller. Mr. Chairman, I am happy to have you with us. 



Have you any questions you would like to ask ? 



Mr. Bonner. No. 



Mr. Miller. Mr. Dom? 



Mr. DoRN. I have no questions. 



Mr. Miller. Mr. Oliver? 



Mr. Oliver. Mr. Chairman, I must confess that I am very insuffi- 

 ciently equipped to ask questions on a subject such as this. From a 

 practical standpoint I expect this has to do with basic research, look- 

 ing for information. Is that correct ? 



